Do you write stories?

[ECGadget]

I guess work pressures are hard to work around, but at least you have a way of dealing with it 👍

I also might upload it soon. That depends if I find it on my school drives.

I look forward to reading it, hopefully!

 

[Autofreak4986]

I've been doing that since 1995 at the age of 9 and I had my first computer, a Brother WP-3410 word processor, but what I had typed had made no sense. I should have done this when I had strange dreams back in the day--and I can now, as I have entered my 20th year writing.

My craft got better when I was 11-14, and then when my senior year of high school rolled around after taking a creative writing class (throughout my school years, there has been at least one writing class I have taken), I had gotten noticeably better (and writing fanfiction helped, too). I had learned to indent paragraphs that started with dialogue around 2005, and that's been with me ever since.

Over the past 20 years, I have gone from an 8-bit font in orange to Architect/Tekton (often used on worksheets typed by one of my favorite teachers in the 1994-95 year; 1998-2003) to Courier New (2000-2014) to Gill Sans (2004) to Times New Roman (2000-2009) back to Courier New to Calibri (2015-present). I am currently working on a novel inspired by a video-game adventure.

 

[photonrider]

They're in the mail.

-

Writer's block? Every frigging day. Granted, a car review is not high literature, but you still need a hook, a premise, a storyline and a conclusion to wrap around all the horribly dry facts.

When I'm stuck, I simply go ahead and try something I know won't work, hoping that, along the way, I'll figure out a way to fix it. And if I don't, looking over what I've written sometimes gives me an idea for something better, and I can trash the first draft and start over.

-

Of course, this is magazine writing, never more than 1.2k words. But they did commission a fictional piece from me for last month (A Day in the Life of the Stig). It was lots of fun to do, but bloody difficult. I suck at dialogue.




Good thing Stiggy never talks.

I'm entranced by dialog - not only the content (which is a whole issue in itself) but the way the speech is presented; verbatim? tweaked? dramatised?
And then there is the solid effect of giving character to the speaker by what dialect they are using, or what phrases they use that typify them, or gives them personality.

Dialog is play to me, endlessly fascinating, endlessly modifiable. See - I have pictured your post with dialog - even though I haven't changed a word of your phrasing:

They sat around the worn oak table, the half-dozen of them, smoke swirled in the air, and a clink as someone put a glass down. The place was busy, but the world seemed shut out to these writers idly brainstorming, yet absorbed in every word that fell from each other's lips.
"They're in the mail," replied Niky shortly to Gadget's question, and took a long swallow of his gin and tonic.
"Writer's block?" he went on. "Every frigging day." He rolled his eyes heavenward. "Granted, a car review is not high literature, but you still need a hook, a premise, a storyline and a conclusion to wrap around all the horribly dry facts. "
He'd hooked their attention again; they were still, heads cocked, eyes locked on his face.
"When I'm stuck, I simply go ahead and try something I know won't work, hoping that, along the way, I'll figure out a way to fix it. And if I don't, looking over what I've written sometimes gives me an idea for something better, and I can trash the first draft and start over."
There was a crash over at the bar as someone's face met a fist with some force, but the writers hardly shifted - a quick glance to check that the fight wasn't coming their way then back with a hurried sip to focus on Niky again.
"Of course, this is magazine writing," Niky continued, his tone depreciating. "Never more than 1.2k words." He shrugged, then straightened to brighten visibly, cracking a wry smile. "But they did commission a fictional piece from me for last month (A Day in the Life of the Stig)."
Laughter rippled around the table.
"It was lots of fun to do, but bloody difficult. I suck at dialogue." Nicky laughed carelessly and tossed down the last of his drink. There was a short silence.
"Good thing Stiggy never talks," Gadget said. That had them exploding with laughter. The brawlers at the bar paused in a clinch to look over.

Listening to real people speak is a key to understanding dialog. Every one has their own idiolect. In addition their dialect changes as they move from environment to environment - a teen may not speak the same way in the presence of their parents as they would in the presence of their peers.
A policeman will speak one way to his mates, and another way to his wife and kids.
The professor maintains a certain style of dialog with his students but has another one altogether when golfing with friends.
So listening carefully to people is a good way of gathering the tools one needs for constructing dialog; a story without some sort of dialog can be lifeless, and hard work to make captivate with description alone.

 

[R5]

I look forward to reading it, hopefully!

Update: locked out of the school's network, because I've left. Will try and find the USB stick I have it on, though.

Spoiler: On a happier note!

I mentioned writing a short story based on a song, and I found that:
Music Sounds Better With You

Midnight in Paris is always interesting, it's many things. From the skyline, and the obvious extrusion of bright lights from the Eiffel Tower which nobody could imagine being without, to the chaos of l'Arc de Triomphe and it's unmarked road. But tonight my midnight is spent at my classmate Jean's house.

He organised a party for my arrival at the University of Paris as I've just came from London. Offering booze, girls and drugs but has only really fulfilled one of those promises. A little tipsy from some cheap lager, I spot her. Black hair, blue eyes, glossy red lips and a gorgeous figure. This isn't the drink talking here, this is my eyes. Alas, she seems to be with friends so I stay away.

1 AM, she sits alone at the side of the room, and as the song has changed to a repetitive house track, I decide I should join her. I confidently stride over to the empty seat then she looks up and every bit of confidence gets sucked away by the striking beauty of her up close, however, I can't turn and walk away now.

"Parlez-Vous en Anglais?" Might not seem the most romantic question, but it had to be asked because I don't speak French. Why I chose an English speaking course, after all. "Oui, I take it you don't speak French" she says with a smile that could split my heart in two, my reply is a meek no, I want to learn though.

The night progresses, a song she likes comes on from "The guy who did Nightcall", I don't like it personally but I enjoy her company a lot, so I join her in a dance to it. Laughs, jokes, smiles and all that usual stuff follow, as we burn the midnight oil.

I feel the need to ask her about the guy she was with, she replies "Brother, he is a nice guy once you learn French." The last part with a chuckle. The next question could ruin any chances of me being with her but I then ask "Any boyfriend?" Which is followed by a sour look and a shake of the head, she asks a question which I know is an armed trap: "Why?" After a moment to choose my words, I reply "Because I found it hard to believe that any man with eyes wouldn't want to treat you like a queen." Cliché, I know but it works.

It's now 2 AM, and we're leaving. The belle gives me the Gaelic departing gift of a French kiss and walks into the street. "How are you getting home?" I question out of genuine concern, she tells me her brother is picking her up.

Then, through the background noise of distant cars, I hear the song from earlier, that dull house track , and ask her for one last dance.

"I thought you hated this one." She replied with a degree of confusion.

My response? "Well that's the thing, music sounds better with you."

 

[JKgo]

...So, I've found a new full-time distraction: reading web novels. Objectively almost all of them are poorly written, amateurish money grabbing schemes, but a handful really caught me by surprise and I just can't seem to stop reading one in particular: The Legendary Moonlight Sculptor (English version of course!)

I don't know what the hurdles are for publishing and monetizing such a work, but I hear it's rather lucrative. Maybe I should jump into this thing, see where it takes me....

 

[Daniel]

I've written a couple of responses to /r/WritingPrompts on reddit. I can't find most of them but I've found one of them that I cleaned up a bit just now.

Spoiler: A lonely teenage boy asks a genie to talk to his future wife. The person who appears is not whom he expects." (With some other editing.)

"We're cooking sausages with this?" Logan asked. "And selling them?" He looked down upon the worn grill in front of him.

"We're going to need all the barbecues we can," Coach replied. "A rugby trip to Argentina isn't gonna fundraise itself. Henry said it'll be fine once you give it a good clean."

"Right. It just seems so old."

Coach chuckled. "It's probably older than you, Logan. You implying that old stuff's useless? I'm not old and useless. Get a scraper and the cleaner and it'll be sizzling sausages in no time."

"James!" Logan raise his voice, garnering attention from his friend. "Chuck us the cleaner, I've got a barbecue cleaner that's older than yo' mum!"

James stood up from assembling another (newer) barbecue a few gazebos away, "Miss O'Hanlen called, she wants your jokes from third grade back." He lobbed the cleaner towards Logan.

"They're vintage. Just like yo' ma–OWW."

"Shoot, did I hit you?" James asked, feigning concern.

"Yeah," Logan winced. "The edge of the can hit my collar bone."

"Good," James laughed. "That's karma for your god-awful jokes." He went back to his own barbecue, installing the gas bottle.

Logan looked down at the dust-covered grill, slightly disgusted by the amount of old food on it. How has Henry not clean this before? Did he just forget that he owned one? Logan shook the aerosol can of cleaner and sprayed a generous helping over the grill.

"James!" Logan yelled again, still focused on the dust. "Give me some help with this thing. It's gonna take ages to clean this, it's so god-damn ancient!"

"He's not going to hear you, you know." A soft, unfamiliar voice echoed out from behind him.

Logan started to turn around, trying to tie a person to the voice. "Why not? He's just over ther—" He looked around, falling silent like everybody else. Over thirty people helping set up the fund-raiser froze in the middle of their actions. Logan's mouth was hung open, speechless.

He tried gathering some of his wits before the entity in front of him started talking again.

"My name is Hakimah Al-Jinn," she smiled, holding a small scroll of parchment in her left hand. Her face was covered in a beautiful, black hijab with an intricate golden pattern running throughout. Hakimah's eyes were a deep brown that could stare into anyone's soul. Which was logical, she was a jinn, after all.

Hakimah began reading off her parchment in a regal, noble voice. "You have awaken me from my slumb-"

"You're a genie, aren't you?" Logan interrupted. "OhmygodthatsawesomewhatshouldIwishforcanIhaveinfinitewishesandlotsofmoneyplease
waitwhydidyoucomefromacanofbarbecuecleanerinsteadofalamp?"

"Shush kid, let me explain. And don't use genie," Hakimah noted. "We jinn - you're not Aladdin and this ain't a Disney movie. She returned back to her parchment reciting the script, "You have awaken me from my slumber, and as gratitude I shall grant you four wishes. You may not wish for an unlimited supply of anything, you may not wish for extra wishes, and you may not wish for anything that goes against the free will of another person, and you may not wish for anything that will physically interfere with time i.e. bring back a dead person, or time travel."

Logan was still buzzing about seeing a ge— a jinn. "Why the can? Don't you guys usually come from lamps?"

Hakimah sighed. This kid took Aladdin way to literally. "They're banal. We only appear once every three years, so I like to shake it up a bit. My sister, my husband and his brother are all seeing who can hide in different places. My sister hid in a really old bottle of gin for a client. She said the horrible smell was worth the pun."

Logan stood with a blank face. "What pun?"

Hakimah replied, "My sister - a jinn hid in a bottle of... you know what? Never mind. Anyway, last client found me in an urn and the look on her face when I came out was priceless! She probably thought I was her cat coming back from the dead!"

Hakimah summoned her phone from the barbecue cleaner to check the time, before looking down at a confused Logan.

"Yeah, we got phones too," she handed him the phone to inspect.

"Cool! Can I have one?" Logan asked. "My phone sucks."

"Done. Three wishes left," Hakimah said. "When time resumes, it'll be in an unopened box at home. I don't know if your SIM card will work with it or not. You may have to root it."

"Also," Logan began speaking again. Hakimah found herself amused that Logan seemed pretty unfazed by the fact that ajinn was right in front of him. "Why four wishes?"

"The first wish is usually a 'tester' wish. Something simple, like a phone," Hakimah said, waving her own phone in her hand. "Some people ask for stuff like a hat, or a really hot girl. This one time," Hakimah chuckled, "some girl high off her face asked for two burgers, chips, and a diet Coke!"

"What next?" Logan paused, looking around for anything that could aid him in another wish. Everybody was still frozen in their tracks. Coach and a few other team members were setting up a gazebo. James was still working on the gas tank connecting to his barbecue. Logan's dad had been grilling some sausages on a barbecue set up on the far left, and he was currently recoiling away from the barbecue . He must've burned himself, Logan thought. He couldn't help but laugh seeing his dad frozen in time with the first look of pain on his face.

"Got it." Logan looked up to Hakimah, "I want the team to be fully funded for the rugby trip."

The entity nodded, "Done. Two wishes left. You'll get a sponsor for the trip in about a week. I don't usually see selfless wishes that often."

Logan tried slowing down his train of thought. He didn't really want something as simple as a ton of money – his uncle Colin retired after winning the lottery and he just seemed so... aimless. Wealth was pretty tempting though.

"I wish for a high paying job that I love when I grow up." He deemed that quite a wise decision. Logan would have to work, but he'll love what he'll be doing, at least.

"Done. One wish left," Hakimah noted. "Nice choice, too. I haven't heard that one before. Thinking about the future's always smart."

One wish left, Logan thought. Don't screw it up.

"What about another wish about the future?" Hakimah asked. "Hot wife, big house, cure cancer."

"My wife," Logan said. "I want to talk to whomever I will marry."

"You sure about that one?" Hakimah warned. "Last wish."

"Yup. I want to see who I'm going to spend the rest of my life with."

Hakimah nodded. "Granted. You will see what they look like at their current age and they won't have any knowledge or memory of the conversation happening. Once done, I'll disappear and you'll never see me again, unless you happen to find where I'm hiding, of course."

"Okay, how do I talk to her?" Logan asked, eager to see who he's going to marry. Is she hot? Funny? How big are her boobs? I wonder what our kids would look like. Logan turned to the side to see a projection of his potential future....

"In case you haven't already figured out," James smiled. "We're not having kids. Well, not without adoption..."

 

[Mrs Wolfe]

Is anyone intending to do NaNoWriMo this year? I find it lights quite a fire under my behind, and I do better with solid deadlines that are socially or externally enforced. I'm in the middle of outlining my planned novel, and I'm starting to get excited.

 

[JohnBM01]

People whom have known me long enough on GTPlanet usually tab me as saying I make stories often. I even remember being said I make "40-page introductions." However, I recently have expressed interest in making an eBook. I have never released any true book or eBook. What I am working on as my first project is not a story, but more like a series of short pieces combined together to make one complete book. I mostly will use my blog(s) and social media to promote my work for when it is complete.

 

[photonrider]

Update: locked out of the school's network, because I've left. Will try and find the USB stick I have it on, though.

Spoiler: On a happier note!

I mentioned writing a short story based on a song, and I found that:
Music Sounds Better With You

Midnight in Paris is always interesting, it's many things. From the skyline, and the obvious extrusion of bright lights from the Eiffel Tower which nobody could imagine being without, to the chaos of l'Arc de Triomphe and it's unmarked road. But tonight my midnight is spent at my classmate Jean's house.

He organised a party for my arrival at the University of Paris as I've just came from London. Offering booze, girls and drugs but has only really fulfilled one of those promises. A little tipsy from some cheap lager, I spot her. Black hair, blue eyes, glossy red lips and a gorgeous figure. This isn't the drink talking here, this is my eyes. Alas, she seems to be with friends so I stay away.

1 AM, she sits alone at the side of the room, and as the song has changed to a repetitive house track, I decide I should join her. I confidently stride over to the empty seat then she looks up and every bit of confidence gets sucked away by the striking beauty of her up close, however, I can't turn and walk away now.

"Parlez-Vous en Anglais?" Might not seem the most romantic question, but it had to be asked because I don't speak French. Why I chose an English speaking course, after all. "Oui, I take it you don't speak French" she says with a smile that could split my heart in two, my reply is a meek no, I want to learn though.

The night progresses, a song she likes comes on from "The guy who did Nightcall", I don't like it personally but I enjoy her company a lot, so I join her in a dance to it. Laughs, jokes, smiles and all that usual stuff follow, as we burn the midnight oil.

I feel the need to ask her about the guy she was with, she replies "Brother, he is a nice guy once you learn French." The last part with a chuckle. The next question could ruin any chances of me being with her but I then ask "Any boyfriend?" Which is followed by a sour look and a shake of the head, she asks a question which I know is an armed trap: "Why?" After a moment to choose my words, I reply "Because I found it hard to believe that any man with eyes wouldn't want to treat you like a queen." Cliché, I know but it works.

It's now 2 AM, and we're leaving. The belle gives me the Gaelic departing gift of a French kiss and walks into the street. "How are you getting home?" I question out of genuine concern, she tells me her brother is picking her up.

Then, through the background noise of distant cars, I hear the song from earlier, that dull house track , and ask her for one last dance.

"I thought you hated this one." She replied with a degree of confusion.

My response? "Well that's the thing, music sounds better with you."

Great piece. While it can be considered a short short - and good for submission to a variety of magazines (with some technical editing) it is also a piece that easily fits as a prolouge, or chapter 1 of a romance/drama/comedy - or even a chapter early on in the story.
There must be more 'what if?'s.
You have to address them - either before or after.
Hold on to it - and search for the story - there is more in there.
Dream. Fantasize. When the fantasy is so real you can picture it in your mind write it down as is, then polish.
Someone else might want to live that fantasy too.

I've written a couple of responses to /r/WritingPrompts on reddit. I can't find most of them but I've found one of them that I cleaned up a bit just now.

Spoiler: A lonely teenage boy asks a genie to talk to his future wife. The person who appears is not whom he expects." (With some other editing.)

"We're cooking sausages with this?" Logan asked. "And selling them?" He looked down upon the worn grill in front of him.

"We're going to need all the barbecues we can," Coach replied. "A rugby trip to Argentina isn't gonna fundraise itself. Henry said it'll be fine once you give it a good clean."

"Right. It just seems so old."

Coach chuckled. "It's probably older than you, Logan. You implying that old stuff's useless? I'm not old and useless. Get a scraper and the cleaner and it'll be sizzling sausages in no time."

"James!" Logan raise his voice, garnering attention from his friend. "Chuck us the cleaner, I've got a barbecue cleaner that's older than yo' mum!"

James stood up from assembling another (newer) barbecue a few gazebos away, "Miss O'Hanlen called, she wants your jokes from third grade back." He lobbed the cleaner towards Logan.

"They're vintage. Just like yo' ma–OWW."

"Shoot, did I hit you?" James asked, feigning concern.

"Yeah," Logan winced. "The edge of the can hit my collar bone."

"Good," James laughed. "That's karma for your god-awful jokes." He went back to his own barbecue, installing the gas bottle.

Logan looked down at the dust-covered grill, slightly disgusted by the amount of old food on it. How has Henry not clean this before? Did he just forget that he owned one? Logan shook the aerosol can of cleaner and sprayed a generous helping over the grill.

"James!" Logan yelled again, still focused on the dust. "Give me some help with this thing. It's gonna take ages to clean this, it's so god-damn ancient!"

"He's not going to hear you, you know." A soft, unfamiliar voice echoed out from behind him.

Logan started to turn around, trying to tie a person to the voice. "Why not? He's just over ther—" He looked around, falling silent like everybody else. Over thirty people helping set up the fund-raiser froze in the middle of their actions. Logan's mouth was hung open, speechless.

He tried gathering some of his wits before the entity in front of him started talking again.

"My name is Hakimah Al-Jinn," she smiled, holding a small scroll of parchment in her left hand. Her face was covered in a beautiful, black hijab with an intricate golden pattern running throughout. Hakimah's eyes were a deep brown that could stare into anyone's soul. Which was logical, she was a jinn, after all.

Hakimah began reading off her parchment in a regal, noble voice. "You have awaken me from my slumb-"

"You're a genie, aren't you?" Logan interrupted. "OhmygodthatsawesomewhatshouldIwishforcanIhaveinfinitewishesandlotsofmoneyplease
waitwhydidyoucomefromacanofbarbecuecleanerinsteadofalamp?"

"Shush kid, let me explain. And don't use genie," Hakimah noted. "We jinn - you're not Aladdin and this ain't a Disney movie. She returned back to her parchment reciting the script, "You have awaken me from my slumber, and as gratitude I shall grant you four wishes. You may not wish for an unlimited supply of anything, you may not wish for extra wishes, and you may not wish for anything that goes against the free will of another person, and you may not wish for anything that will physically interfere with time i.e. bring back a dead person, or time travel."

Logan was still buzzing about seeing a ge— a jinn. "Why the can? Don't you guys usually come from lamps?"

Hakimah sighed. This kid took Aladdin way to literally. "They're banal. We only appear once every three years, so I like to shake it up a bit. My sister, my husband and his brother are all seeing who can hide in different places. My sister hid in a really old bottle of gin for a client. She said the horrible smell was worth the pun."

Logan stood with a blank face. "What pun?"

Hakimah replied, "My sister - a jinn hid in a bottle of... you know what? Never mind. Anyway, last client found me in an urn and the look on her face when I came out was priceless! She probably thought I was her cat coming back from the dead!"

Hakimah summoned her phone from the barbecue cleaner to check the time, before looking down at a confused Logan.

"Yeah, we got phones too," she handed him the phone to inspect.

"Cool! Can I have one?" Logan asked. "My phone sucks."

"Done. Three wishes left," Hakimah said. "When time resumes, it'll be in an unopened box at home. I don't know if your SIM card will work with it or not. You may have to root it."

"Also," Logan began speaking again. Hakimah found herself amused that Logan seemed pretty unfazed by the fact that ajinn was right in front of him. "Why four wishes?"

"The first wish is usually a 'tester' wish. Something simple, like a phone," Hakimah said, waving her own phone in her hand. "Some people ask for stuff like a hat, or a really hot girl. This one time," Hakimah chuckled, "some girl high off her face asked for two burgers, chips, and a diet Coke!"

"What next?" Logan paused, looking around for anything that could aid him in another wish. Everybody was still frozen in their tracks. Coach and a few other team members were setting up a gazebo. James was still working on the gas tank connecting to his barbecue. Logan's dad had been grilling some sausages on a barbecue set up on the far left, and he was currently recoiling away from the barbecue . He must've burned himself, Logan thought. He couldn't help but laugh seeing his dad frozen in time with the first look of pain on his face.

"Got it." Logan looked up to Hakimah, "I want the team to be fully funded for the rugby trip."

The entity nodded, "Done. Two wishes left. You'll get a sponsor for the trip in about a week. I don't usually see selfless wishes that often."

Logan tried slowing down his train of thought. He didn't really want something as simple as a ton of money – his uncle Colin retired after winning the lottery and he just seemed so... aimless. Wealth was pretty tempting though.

"I wish for a high paying job that I love when I grow up." He deemed that quite a wise decision. Logan would have to work, but he'll love what he'll be doing, at least.

"Done. One wish left," Hakimah noted. "Nice choice, too. I haven't heard that one before. Thinking about the future's always smart."

One wish left, Logan thought. Don't screw it up.

"What about another wish about the future?" Hakimah asked. "Hot wife, big house, cure cancer."

"My wife," Logan said. "I want to talk to whomever I will marry."

"You sure about that one?" Hakimah warned. "Last wish."

"Yup. I want to see who I'm going to spend the rest of my life with."

Hakimah nodded. "Granted. You will see what they look like at their current age and they won't have any knowledge or memory of the conversation happening. Once done, I'll disappear and you'll never see me again, unless you happen to find where I'm hiding, of course."

"Okay, how do I talk to her?" Logan asked, eager to see who he's going to marry. Is she hot? Funny? How big are her boobs? I wonder what our kids would look like. Logan turned to the side to see a projection of his potential future....

"In case you haven't already figured out," James smiled. "We're not having kids. Well, not without adoption..."

Good story, complete in itself, though still good enough to develop to 60.000 words.
Lot's of 'what if?s' - what's going to happen next? - there is so much the reader can imagine - can you outdo the reader's imagination?
Nice work on the dialog - I see it comes naturally to you. Work on different patois - people speak different - even those from the same family.

Is anyone intending to do NaNoWriMo this year? I find it lights quite a fire under my behind, and I do better with solid deadlines that are socially or externally enforced. I'm in the middle of outlining my planned novel, and I'm starting to get excited.

Course I had to go check what you were talking about - and wow, yes - great opportunity for budding writers. Here is where hard work meets passion - the perfect blend of which will bring home the bacon.
Best of luck, Mrs Wolfe!
(We need more celebrities in here. )

People whom have known me long enough on GTPlanet usually tab me as saying I make stories often. I even remember being said I make "40-page introductions." However, I recently have expressed interest in making an eBook. I have never released any true book or eBook. What I am working on as my first project is not a story, but more like a series of short pieces combined together to make one complete book. I mostly will use my blog(s) and social media to promote my work for when it is complete.

I enjoyed reading your adventures in TDU2.
In fact I used to make it a point to go see what new shenanigan you had reported - and yes, your posts were long, but very, very enjoyable. Most times after reading you I'd rush off to play TDU2 again.
Keep writing, John, description comes naturally to you, and you have a way with words that easily draws a reader. 👍


WRITE!

 

[R5]

Thank you for the advice @photonrider 👍

 

[JohnBM01]

The kind words are vastly appreciated, photonrider. Much respect. 👍

 

[Daniel]

Good story, complete in itself, though still good enough to develop to 60.000 words.
Lot's of 'what if?s' - what's going to happen next? - there is so much the reader can imagine - can you outdo the reader's imagination?
Nice work on the dialog - I see it comes naturally to you. Work on different patois - people speak different - even those from the same family.

I've got to improve on giving different personalities to people. I do like the fact that dialogue comes easily though. I can't stand people using constant he said, she replied, he said angrily - I prefer showing rather than telling.

I have one small scene an extended race report I was going to write last year. Never got around to it since I never got GT6 but the track editor has made it tempting.

 

[Com Fox]

I'm going to get to work with a Pokemon Story pretty soon, I have some of the main characters and all the story arcs they go through.

Thing with my writing is that my writing usually tends to enter dark themes that can be seen as either brutal or depressing. Especially when I get further into my writing. The thing with what I have planned, it targets Death, Suicide, Acceptance and Moving On, especially with my main protagonist who grew up with a successful family of murders who use their Pokemon for murderous deeds. She and 1 of her brothers (who wanted to be a Pokemon Doctor) didn't like it which force the Family to grab her brother and force her to kill him after he stood up to his parents, so they used this to try to get their daughter used to killing. However one day, Police were around their hideout and they had a massive war. The parents died and her other brother vanished without a trace. Her Pokemon, a Shiny Bulbasaur gave her the courage to escape and abandon her past life to start fresh with Bulbasaur. She goes by a fake name and signs up at a Pokemon Training School, to develop a brand new style of battling and meet some new people, giving her new life and moving on, but during her time, her past starts to haunt her which will drive her into depression and become suicidal.

I won't say anymore due to spoilers.

I chose a female protagonist because I need to practice more on writing female characters. I have quite a lot of Male characters in with unique personalities and back stories but like with most my writing ideas, I seem to lack several Female ideas.

 

[Mrs Wolfe]

Course I had to go check what you were talking about - and wow, yes - great opportunity for budding writers. Here is where hard work meets passion - the perfect blend of which will bring home the bacon.
Best of luck, Mrs Wolfe!
(We need more celebrities in here. )

WRITE!

Thank you! I'll be putting my full effort in. The first week is easy, and the last you have lots of motivation, but week three is a slog. @Wolfe doesn't care for it much because I become obsessed with that daily word count and there is much angsting if I'm behind.

It will be my seventh NaNoWriMo! Scary realization, that. Prior to doing it, I hadn't actually finished a draft of any piece, although I'd had one piece reach novel length. Now, I use it to force myself to actually sit down and write, twice a year without fail, and produce one draft a year minimum. (It sounds kind of clinical put that way, doesn't it?) Camp NaNo is their summer event, and I use it to write any sections still needed to make a complete first draft.

Then I spend the rest of the year letting it rest three months and then revising, revising, and revising. I'm not very good at revising yet! Not editing, but rip-it-apart-and-weep revising. Advice on that? I don't struggle so much with it on short form pieces, but novels are a bear.

Off to the races in 26 days!

 

[photonrider]

...............XsnipX...............

Then I spend the rest of the year letting it rest three months and then revising, revising, and revising. I'm not very good at revising yet! Not editing, but rip-it-apart-and-weep revising. Advice on that? I don't struggle so much with it on short form pieces, but novels are a bear.

Off to the races in 26 days!

Artists destroy their creations.

Creators are a different lot altogether - but artists destroy their creations because artists by their very nature are striving for perfection, which in itself is, while being an ideal, also a temporal illusion.

Perfection changes. Perfection changes because consciousness changes.

A writer may write a story about a first kiss, while never having experienced it, then may have one IRL the next day, and going back to the story will find that their conscious experience of what a first kiss was like was nowhere like they thought it would be.
So the writer will then change stuff in that story to more perfectly fit, maybe even what the protagonist thought a first kiss would be like - and later the protagonist's thoughts on the real thing, and even a dramatic blow-by-blow, lip-sucking recount of the actual incident, one so well written that any reader who has experienced themselves a first kiss such as that will have their hearts pounding, and their eyes bugging out as they read.

That's the whole idea.
Tapping the same neurons you are tapping that will make you cry will tap the neuron's in a reader's brain that'll make them cry.
So when a writer goes back and reads their work sometimes they can't feel the same as they felt when they wrote it - this results in disapointment, frustration, rage and ultimately destruction.
And it is the same with any other art, not just writing - painting, sculpture, woodworking, metallurgy; anything that can be formed can be re-formed, and so the danger of irrepairable destruction - or a complete deviation from the original. When a writer goes back and instead of 'polishing' the story starts to 'change' it is when the 're-formation' starts becoming a 're-creation'.
Sometimes a new idea just belongs in another story - not the one you are engaged in unearthing at the present moment.
There are other times a writer goes back to a story they are working on, reads what they have written and found it blase or boring or so cliche as to be embarrasing - but again this may be because of the writer's mood of the moment. Readers don't pick up a book to analyse it; they pick it up, start reading, and if it doesn't hold them they put it down - if it does, they keep reading.

THEY KEEP READING BECAUSE THE WRITER HAS PLANTED QUESTIONS IN THEIR MINDS THAT THEY WANT ANSWERED - AND ONLY THE WRITER SHOULD BE IN A POSITION TO ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS.

If they can answer the questions themselves, the readers won't keep reading.

So when a writer goes back to their work, the questions have already been answered in the writer's mind, and so may tend to be boring. Beware of this. A reader's fresh mind is not following the same tracks that you yourself have gone over several times.
Sometimes the less you read your work the better. Better spend time writing instead.

I can offer you some practical advice that put into use might help a lot - and in fact have you enjoying your writing more.

First - a preamble (hey, I'm writing here. )

In The Book Thief , Liesel scrawls every new word she learns on the basement wall of the house they lived in. The Jewish lad hiding in the basement (from the freedom that the Nazi Party welded at the time) was entranced by Liesel's love of words, and watched as the walls became slowly covered with thousands upon thousands of words. One day he told her that the ancient traditions he was born with followed that in the beginning was the Word. This word was the word for 'Life' and every living thing, every animal, bird and branch that lived had this Word in them - and when it was lost was when that living thing died.

Mysterious stuff.

And then he scrawled the word 'WRITE' on the wall.
For her to read. A new word.
The word must also be read.

More mysterious stuff (but I'll give it to you my way): photons off a page are not the same as photons off a screen or imaginary photons in one's head. Words on a wall are not the same as words on a screen, or words that leap into one's eyes off the page of a book or magazine.

Words on a page, words in a book - they have a magic all their own. If you are writing a book - then start making one.

A word itself is a spell.
Take the nastiest word you can imagine - and try writing it down or photoshopping it into a garland of flowers, or giving it a gothic font, or a childlike scrawl. Now the writer is adding metaphors to it. Add colour and there is more that the word is saying - the colour of blood, the colour of cowardice, whatever readers are programmed to see.

When you are writing - and writing a story of some kind, whether a piece of paper-based journalistic writing, or a 600 page block-buster fantasy novel - your primary reader is going to be reading that in black and white . . . on a page.
That's holding the spell-book.
Sniffing it, licking it, eyeballs against it, every word something new everyday - that's the power of a real book and that's the power some books have had on civilisation - a power so awesome that millions and millions have been killed because of such books. And the words in them that took the Word away from the living.

So that was more 'mysterious' stuff as a preamble about words in books.

Now here's my practical advice - and it should work for you - and any writer who writes to express the passion in them will find this practical advice will help considerably in keeping their writing organised, their work progress streamlined, and the magic of their writing hitting them full in the face - which are good objectives.

______________​

1) Get a printer or locate a printer nearby who will churn out reams of your writing on standard A4 (about 20 pound 90 white should do.)
Print, punch and file your work into a 3-Ring binder like so:

2) Note the format - this is a standard novel publishing submission layout; margins on either side, double-spaced, 300 words (approx) to a page, indented, and one of the standard fonts submission editors are used to.
You will find a difference when you read your story this way.

You can correct often, but only reprint and insert a new page when you are confident that what is finally there is all that could be for that page. All your corrections, re-corrections, ideas about that page remain till you reprint that page and re-insert a fresh new experience - mysterious, dancing black on pristine, silent white.

(Meanwhile, whatever device you are using to put down the original thoughts - pen on paper, to Siri, or tablet or that ancient 20 year-old Mac that still works beautifully to give you Times Roman in 12 point and all its glory - will stay recorded, but the final (newest) draft being the one that is the page of your book.)
Always do this - if you make a correction on the final draft of the original make sure that page is printed and the old page taken out of the binder (it's history - don't look back, the past is salty with tears.)
In this way you polish without destroying too much to the point it becomes irrepairable.

You can also jump at leisure to various parts of the story - even if just lying in the hammock in your backyard - and pencil notes on the individual pages, fixing thoughts then and there with pen to paper is sometimes far quicker than booting up an electronic device you are writing on - sometimes a great line is lost by the time tech-dependent writers get their tools up.

You might even keep a novel you're working on just flipped open to a certain page reading it on and off whenever you are in that area:

You might look at a page and think: where can I add more character in here? where can I add more drama? where more questions? environmental ambiance?
Keep in mind always that 'less is more' - overloading the reader makes them work.
Be sparse. But connect hard.

Whenever you think a page is just about perfect, that - if viewed as jewellery - the sentences are glistening works of art, the paragraphs a synchrony of color and light, the whole page a necklace that hypnotizes . . . then print.
Read, view, savour.
File and leave it be.
Do not 'over-read' it - remember, as mentioned, writers get bored with their own work by over-reading and answering the same questions over and over.
These 'what-if' questions you've created and the 'that's what-happened' answers are all new to a reader.

And that brings us to another benefit:

3) Assemble your readers and let them have it. The Binder, that is.
I have a separate manuscript in a flexible cover that I might toss at one of my 'readers' (writer's spouses suffer this torment a lot) and let them make notes on it - such as 'fabulous' or 'I love this part ',' uh-uh' or - 'that's not how syzygy is spelled' or the best one: 'WTF? Are you sure about this?' - because those are questions they are wanting answers for.
Yes. Very important. Whatever the material reasons behind a writer's output, what inherently drives a writer is that someone reads, understands, agrees and enjoys what has been written. So assemble your secret fan club (they don't need to know - just get them to read) and you'll have not only added impetus it won't be like you are just a voice in the wilderness.

A little awe thrown sincerely by such fans thrown the writer's way regarding craftsmanship and originality also spices up the writer's feeling of satisfaction and achievement at a job well-done controlling the magic of words and the powerful life of every one of them.

Cheers to all!
H.

 

[Mrs Wolfe]

I think I'm stuck at a slightly larger revision level, cutting scenes, adding scenes, chopping things to bits, very much structural issues at the moment. I do like printing things out and scribbling all over them though, as well as reading things out loud to myself to listen for awkward phrasing and pacing. (Of course, I'd never be guilty of this. ) But still very much larger scale issues.

 

[Katiegan]

I'm having a bit of trouble staying on track with this whole story writing business. My original idea I had has changed twice and now the idea I have is completely different to what I wanted to write at first. I'm so indecisive that it's taking me a long time to settle with idea and write them down. It's somewhat discouraging me, although I really would like to write it from start to finish. Any tips for sticking to an idea?

 

[Mrs Wolfe]

I'm having a bit of trouble staying on track with this whole story writing business. My original idea I had has changed twice and now the idea I have is completely different to what I wanted to write at first. I'm so indecisive that it's taking me a long time to settle with idea and write them down. It's somewhat discouraging me, although I really would like to write it from start to finish. Any tips for sticking to an idea?

I keep a file where I dump all the new and shiny ideas that pop up while I'm working on a novel, and I use them for short stories or the next novel, but I don't touch them while I'm writing a draft. Just, every inspiration gets dumped there and stored for later so I don't lose it!

 

[photonrider]

I think I'm stuck at a slightly larger revision level, cutting scenes, adding scenes, chopping things to bits, very much structural issues at the moment.

There's several types of revision - the phase you're on is where we walk the tightrope.

Completed-work revision is agony and ecstasy.
And a most dangerous phase - this is where you could destroy your work beyond recognition. My own experience has been to better trim and pare than add or insert.
The joy in completed-work revision is when you are confident about the plot. When you are sure about the timeline, and the characters, and the movement of the drama and dialogue in the story then you get to polishing - looking for repetitive words or phrases, awkward punctuation, and so on . . . when the pure craftsmanship of writing comes into play after passionate authorship - that's immensely satisfying.

Pure writing is an act of passion - like sex - and cannot be always arranged successfully beforehand - the more spontaneous, the greater the passion (and the least analysis of the act while in motion.)
So when we, seized upon by the muse to write . . . write, and write, and write; we do as if in the throes of some uncontrolled trance.
In this state even a small disturbance can discombobulate us.
Then we come out of it, read back and go - do I need that complement . . . or . . . hmmm, hyphenating that compound adjective is tricky . . is there another word?
You might even remember that when a sentence begins with a participial phrase, a gerund phrase, or even an elliptical clause, that the phrase or clause should logically agree with the subject. Because when we go back and read with a more clinical eye what we wrote with such passion, then we see that we must trim, or shine, or polish up the structure of the language we are using to communicate the ideas, or drama, or philosophies we are expressing.

A short piece is easier to deal with.
The pieces that Daniel or ECGadget have written are infinitely editable, and if the core-story remains the same, would be only different ways of saying it. Because they are more compact, they are easy to revise over and over.
A long short is even more fun - 5000 to 15000 words, compact enough to embrace all the ideas presented with a single overview, yet large enough to have lots and lots of juicy editing within; slight adjustments to POVs, tweaks in dialog, some tech-details either added for effect, or trimmed to read easier - all this polishing is real pleasure to a writer who has a completed work.

But then we go on to the big ones - the novels that are 60,000 words and up.
These are monstrous edits if one is not happy with the completed work and must adjust - and writers can go crazy - even to the point of adding superfluous characters or dislocated sub-plots. There's many a giant manuscript lying in an attic somewhere because the author lost the battle with a book that wanted to be several books at once.
So one has to be watchfull that the book doesn't want to let go, doesn't want you to go on to the next book. A writer must decide when to stop shuffling it around and making it grow, and instead print the whole thing out, read, and go the other way around - trim, trim, trim.
A writer needs to learn when to put it down, print off a final, pack it loose-leaf into a box and send it off to agent or whatever submissions editor they have cornered into reading the work.

I do like printing things out and scribbling all over them though, as well as reading things out loud to myself to listen for awkward phrasing and pacing. (Of course, I'd never be guilty of this. ) But still very much larger scale issues.

Printing things out is important - especially when doing a large edit on-screen.
Keeping tabs on what is going in when you can shuffle a bunch of chapters in hard-copy is easier than trying to shuffle files on a screen. I have to admit, though, when I'm engaged in writing one of my novels I may have up to sixteen chapters on my desktop - tiled - so that the whole desktop is only covered with chapters, tiled and titled, and I can shift between chapters fast, the cursor going to the exact spot I was in when I had left that chapter to remind me what portion of the chapter I was working on. This way I can work on the book from varied angles at the same time.

Reading aloud - especially dialogue - is also a good idea.
For instance, one can't hiss: 'I find you ignorant.'
No sibilants in that sentence and it will be apparent as soon as you try to hiss it.
So writing: 'I find you ignorant,' he hissed - would be stumble-footed writing.
One may revise it to: 'You stink of ignorance,' he hissed.
Or if one wants to kick it up a notch and add the drama of exclaiming a hiss (can we even imagine that? ): 'Your ignorance stinkss!' he hissed, sputtering spittle.
Or sometimes witers will find in their writing: "Oh! that's funny," she laughed.
Try to laugh that sentence.
To convey that is easier, while being both conceptually and grammatically correct, to write it: "Oh! that's funny!' She laughed.
Which reminds me that I have to rap with @Daniel:

I've got to improve on giving different personalities to people. I do like the fact that dialogue comes easily though. I can't stand people using constant he said, she replied, he said angrily - I prefer showing rather than telling.

I have one small scene an extended race report I was going to write last year. Never got around to it since I never got GT6 but the track editor has made it tempting.

Your talent for scrawling dialogue as fast as people can spout it will improve dramatically by a bit of vocabulary-building.
It's redundant to tell writers to collect words - words are the 'tools of the trade' - but in your case you should start a special collection of words related to dialogue:

"Said, spoke, told, replied, concurred, hissed, screamed, yelled, whispered, sang out, called, shouted, snarled, gritted, roared, snapped . . . it's a big list," continued Harry.

Start collecting - get it down in a notebook, or a file on whatever device you are using. This becomes the toolbox you will refer to when you go back to edit your work and polish it up with more vivid imagery.
Dialoge does not always need physical qualifying either. There can be a whole lot of dialogue without any qualifiers - no indication as to who is saying what or how it's said, yet everything left to be inferred by the reader because of the writer having previously built up the nature of the characters, how they talk, and the elements of the scene are already in place. I will demonstrate this with some examples from the same manuscript I am using for examples (pictured above) later on.

I'm having a bit of trouble staying on track with this whole story writing business. My original idea I had has changed twice and now the idea I have is completely different to what I wanted to write at first. I'm so indecisive that it's taking me a long time to settle with idea and write them down. It's somewhat discouraging me, although I really would like to write it from start to finish. Any tips for sticking to an idea?

Organising, truly, depends on the device. Clay tablets would be heavy.

The modern tablets we have on larger phones work best for constant 24/7 organising - this means you have it with you all the time, and your filing system is up to date; you have a dump file (ideas to be sorted) and other files dedicated to storing notes to be used, as well as folders containing your files which are actually chapters.
In this way - wherever you are, even in the middle of the night and in bed - when something strikes you, the device is right there for you to record it.
Later you can shuffle things around while dawdling in the sunlight at the coffee shop and in that mood you can decide what goes where. Remember - mixing genres can be tricky; cowboys who time travel sound contrived. A chimp in outer space is more likely.

Organising analog notes and work is another matter - for that you may have an index card system, a binder as I mentioned, or divided notebook, etc. The thief of organisation, though, is procrastination.

Some writers, who are great dreamers, can only dream. They never get to writing.
This is the difference between the real and the unreal - a writer's thoughts are not real. Until written down they are as mist on a moor, a fog on shore, a swirl of smoke hard to capture - the very pursuit making it disappear. But when the writer manifests that thought in symbols that can be deciphered and seen exactly as the writer saw the vision - then those who shared that written vision were as the writer was, themselves, at the moment of muse.

Remember, too, to organise your writings with a view to the audience. You don't want to throw Kant at JKs or arithmetic at quantum physicists. Writing to a general audience - in the way a journalist has to write reporting the news - is the toughest; there are many constrictions, from editorial slant to the particular lingua franca needed for the particular circulation.

Sometimes, a writer writes though, to find an audience - using language that only a specific culture may understand, where reading 'between the lines' is as important as the words used themselves. It is in this way a revolutionary writes a book and gathers comrades and before one knows it something new is born that eventually most everybody of that time literate learns to read and understand. Thus is Comminism or Christianity, or in fact the very concepts of civility within Civilisation born - through the literati.

Fortunately, for us in modern times, knowledge can be passed around at the speed of light. We are not cut off from being the literati as was in former times, where only the rich, or the titled, would be educated, and so reap the spoils of such knowledge.
Today the University of Highest Learning is available at the touch of a button, a click of a mouse, a flip of a page - or as in Stephen Hawking's case, a twitch of the cheek.
And in the case of the English language - a million words, a million different concepts to work with, organise, and then further organise the ideas they express, and then further express those ideas in a manner, and where, they will be understood.

So a lot of organising.

Keep your poetry separate, your prose coralled, your innovative concepts boxed - then when the muse calls, take out your various toolboxes and work to craft the reality of words you are manifesting from the thoughts that were born. Stitch the quilt together carefully making sure no patch is out of place, and finally you will have something whole, and, in a strange sense (since we're talking quilts) seamless.
Organise all the parts and know which ingredients to pick before you finally bake.

If larger parts are swamping your organisation, then write out such scenarios as random chapters and keep them aside. ECGadget's and Daniel's pieces are like this - they can work on their own or can easily be worked into a larger construction - a novelette, or even a novel - though those particular pieces will not hold a longer story together by being the core story. The core must be thought-provoking enough via early signals to hold the reader.
In ECGadget's story one may chase after the core as in - how will music sounding better save the world? Or save a group of teenagers stuck hostage in a room with an active shooter?
So that means a heck of a lot more drama, a lot more build-up, back-story, and a huge amount of research required too for authenticity.
But the piece as it stands is ready for such use.
Now if ECGadget writes more random chapters (which may not be connected at the time) and keeps it all filed away, then one day the whole thing comes together with another chapter, another event experienced or fantasized about which was manifested into words, and the story starts really linking up.

Same with Daniel's piece - the questions chase the core story - what about adoption? or some technology, or fantasy situation whereby offspring are actually created from an admixture of the genes and new superheroes are born? And will they save the world? What was going to happen to the world that only this lucky meeting prevented?

Keep an eye on the larger parts and how they may work with other larger parts - but never force them together. Keep smaller parts - manifested, not just 'thought' - in a bin and use them to embroider the larger parts, until all the different 'right' parts come together.

About procrastination - don't mistake that period when the muse is away as procrastination, or even 'writer's block'.
You brain needs to go into very special gear to tap that creative consciousness driven by passion - and I have found that being relaxed and 'letting go' works best to get one into the mood for really great writing - so never stress out that the world is going to end and you're going to be cheated of expressing yourself.
Wait, but be watchful, and when the muse hits you will know, for you will write, and write, and write - either in your head (if procrastinating) or manifested in reality as words - if really working.
Manifest first. Then organise. Then craft.

@RESHIRAM5 - Pokemon is a popular and therefore fiercely competitive market, but don't let that stop you. Get it all down - though I myself would go towards using a graphic novel as the medium.
It starts with the words, first, though, so yeah, get the words down, then maybe a quick storyboard (check the wonderful storyboard in here:

https://www.gtplanet.net/forum/threads/sleep-paralysis.311146/#post-11022612

. . . and from there to editing, to final art . . . and some more work before you can think of publishing hard-copy.
Remember, though, that we are in an age where technology is affecting publishing the way papyrus affected clay tablets. (And that's saying a lot! )

So explore ways to get your message out - even a Facebook entry that permits your friends to view your work is 'readership' that builds up till you can go pro.
Selling even 100,000 books is not easy today. Unless you've written a text book that a whole bunch of Universities want. Or have a name in pulp fiction that means every new 'product' of yours is snapped up by those addicted to your style, your formula, whether romance or horror.

Are you creating for money? Are creating for fame?

Both will be unimportant if you get to that point where you write for love.
I have also seen that those who write for love are usually rich and famous too, a rather bemusing idea.

Cheers to all - keep writing my friends. Yes, some reading will help, too, but having to say that to you bunch, if you have read this far, would be redundant.

 

[ECGadget]

Those short bits were exactly that, parts to be dropped in to a core story (which I have started actually!)
My biggest problem is I love handwriting but if I were to handwrite and then type up that would be a mission.
My second biggest problem is time

 

[Com Fox]

@RESHIRAM5 - Pokemon is a popular and therefore fiercely competitive market, but don't let that stop you. Get it all down - though I myself would go towards using a graphic novel as the medium.
It starts with the words, first, though, so yeah, get the words down, then maybe a quick storyboard (check the wonderful storyboard in here:

https://www.gtplanet.net/forum/threads/sleep-paralysis.311146/#post-11022612

. . . and from there to editing, to final art . . . and some more work before you can think of publishing hard-copy.
Remember, though, that we are in an age where technology is affecting publishing the way papyrus affected clay tablets. (And that's saying a lot! )

So explore ways to get your message out - even a Facebook entry that permits your friends to view your work is 'readership' that builds up till you can go pro.
Selling even 100,000 books is not easy today. Unless you've written a text book that a whole bunch of Universities want. Or have a name in pulp fiction that means every new 'product' of yours is snapped up by those addicted to your style, your formula, whether romance or horror.

Are you creating for money? Are creating for fame?

Both will be unimportant if you get to that point where you write for love.
I have also seen that those who write for love are usually rich and famous too, a rather bemusing idea.

Cheers to all - keep writing my friends. Yes, some reading will help, too, but having to say that to you bunch, if you have read this far, would be redundant.

While I can draw Pokemon (as shown in my Pokedex gallery). I have real tough time drawing actual human characters to even go on to work on a graphic novel, also the amount of drawing you have to do is a bit to tedious for me.

Honestly, I don't have any plans on publishing it. For starters, Pokemon is copyrighted material. Second of all, I write simply as a way to express my imagination and a world I picture with some sort of dark plot and meaning behind it, to give a sorta sad emotion to it. I already have a Mario Kart story but I haven't yet gone past the 2nd Chapter yet but will get back to it later on as I don't have the time for it now and I want to work on a Pokemon one first.

This was the first ever story I wrote that takes place in Total Drama. Granted I am 🤬 when it comes to grammar, this doesn't follow any dark themes unlike what I do now and was really just an experiment to see how I handle with Character Creations and Interactions: https://www.wattpad.com/story/8310939-total-drama-red-leaf
With that, I think I am getting better with my Characters as my writing progresses.

As for storyboards. I already saw that (which was amazing by the way ) but I already came up with my main Plot and focus as well as the story progression for the most part. Kinda like in Anime, it'll go through Story Arcs, with each Arc taking place each year in the Pokemon School with an extra Arc after that, making it 4 Arcs.

1st Arc - Moving from the Past. Time to restart and the Importance into Existence
2nd Arc - The Clash of Space, Time and the Creation of the Universe.
3rd Arc - Looking into the Past and Future. (and no, there is no Time Traveling involved)
Final Arc - Pokemon World Championships & What deserves to be alive.

I also want to move away from the storylines of the Main Character having something special about them (except for her backstory). Instead it is her friends and acquaintances that have something special about them as she tries to cope with each situation and tries to help and has to deal with several consequences for actions in which a huge action causes a massive consequence that serves as the entire plot of the 3rd Arc. She even has to deal with situations that aren't her fault and were because of Family (which was said in her Character description). As she tries to prove that she can become a new person and move on from her bad family.

 

[Grandea GTR]

In the progress of writing the storyline of a webcomic I'm making in the process.

 

[photonrider]

While I can draw Pokemon (as shown in my Pokedex gallery). I have real tough time drawing actual human characters to even go on to work on a graphic novel, also the amount of drawing you have to do is a bit to tedious for me.

Honestly, I don't have any plans on publishing it. For starters, Pokemon is copyrighted material. Second of all, I write simply as a way to express my imagination and a world I picture with some sort of dark plot and meaning behind it, to give a sorta sad emotion to it. I already have a Mario Kart story but I haven't yet gone past the 2nd Chapter yet but will get back to it later on as I don't have the time for it now and I want to work on a Pokemon one first.

This was the first ever story I wrote that takes place in Total Drama. Granted I am 🤬 when it comes to grammar, this doesn't follow any dark themes unlike what I do now and was really just an experiment to see how I handle with Character Creations and Interactions: https://www.wattpad.com/story/8310939-total-drama-red-leaf
With that, I think I am getting better with my Characters as my writing progresses.

As for storyboards. I already saw that (which was amazing by the way ) but I already came up with my main Plot and focus as well as the story progression for the most part. Kinda like in Anime, it'll go through Story Arcs, with each Arc taking place each year in the Pokemon School with an extra Arc after that, making it 4 Arcs.

1st Arc - Moving from the Past. Time to restart and the Importance into Existence
2nd Arc - The Clash of Space, Time and the Creation of the Universe.
3rd Arc - Looking into the Past and Future. (and no, there is no Time Traveling involved)
Final Arc - Pokemon World Championships & What deserves to be alive.

I also want to move away from the storylines of the Main Character having something special about them (except for her backstory). Instead it is her friends and acquaintances that have something special about them as she tries to cope with each situation and tries to help and has to deal with several consequences for actions in which a huge action causes a massive consequence that serves as the entire plot of the 3rd Arc. She even has to deal with situations that aren't her fault and were because of Family (which was said in her Character description). As she tries to prove that she can become a new person and move on from her bad family.

Some tips you may find handy:

1. Become familiar with the characters and the story
   Familiarize yourself with canonical Pokémon stories by watching the animated series, reading the manga and playing video games. The series began in 1999, so there is plenty of source material. The main protagonist is Ash Ketchum and his friend Pikachu.
2. Compose your story
   Write your fanfiction as a new adventure for the main characters. Introduce your own style, your own friends for Ash and even new creatures to discover. The great thing about fanfiction is that the creative potential is limitless.
3. Create an online account
   In order to publish your work on FanFiction.net or DeviantArt, you must create an account with the website. Log in, publish your piece and share it with other Pokémon fans. Fellow Pokémon connoisseurs may leave comments about your fanfiction. Post fanfiction to your own blogging site.
4. Beware of copyrights
   In general, you cannot make money on fanfiction unless you get written permission of the copyright holders of Pokémon. Fanfiction is known as derivative work under the U.S. Copyright Law. Fanfiction writers usually claim "fair use" of the copyrighted work if certain conditions are met, such as a lack of commercial sales.

http://www.ask.com/hobbies-games/can-write-publish-pokemon-fanfiction-5c55ab1fc296fea7

Copyright laws change from country to country so don't let that put you off.

There are different opinions on this; research more before you give up totally on hard copy publication. Online publishing is a different matter - originators don't care so much about the fame you are getting as the money you are receiving.

http://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/10724/fan-works-are-they-allowed

Maybe it's time to unleash Giratina and blow up a parallel reality.

In the progress of writing the storyline of a webcomic I'm making in the process.

Good luck! And enjoy!

 

[Com Fox]

Some tips you may find handy:

1. Become familiar with the characters and the story
   Familiarize yourself with canonical Pokémon stories by watching the animated series, reading the manga and playing video games. The series began in 1999, so there is plenty of source material. The main protagonist is Ash Ketchum and his friend Pikachu.
2. Compose your story
   Write your fanfiction as a new adventure for the main characters. Introduce your own style, your own friends for Ash and even new creatures to discover. The great thing about fanfiction is that the creative potential is limitless.
3. Create an online account
   In order to publish your work on FanFiction.net or DeviantArt, you must create an account with the website. Log in, publish your piece and share it with other Pokémon fans. Fellow Pokémon connoisseurs may leave comments about your fanfiction. Post fanfiction to your own blogging site.
4. Beware of copyrights
   In general, you cannot make money on fanfiction unless you get written permission of the copyright holders of Pokémon. Fanfiction is known as derivative work under the U.S. Copyright Law. Fanfiction writers usually claim "fair use" of the copyrighted work if certain conditions are met, such as a lack of commercial sales.

http://www.ask.com/hobbies-games/can-write-publish-pokemon-fanfiction-5c55ab1fc296fea7

Copyright laws change from country to country so don't let that put you off.

There are different opinions on this; research more before you give up totally on hard copy publication. Online publishing is a different matter - originators don't care so much about the fame you are getting as the money you are receiving.

http://writers.stackexchange.com/questions/10724/fan-works-are-they-allowed

Maybe it's time to unleash Giratina and blow up a parallel reality.



Good luck! And enjoy!

One thing you might not know that each Pokemon Media has its own canon. Ash is nowhere involved in the Games and Manga which use various different protagonist and even then, the Game and Manga characters are separated characters. I kinda want to do the same and make my "own canon".

I've always preferred writing fanfiction on wattpad. I tried using fanfiction.net but it got every complicated for me to work out all the kinks.

 

[JohnBM01]

I haven't completed anything, but I am now thinking about whether I should do one eBook or come up with a series. I am leaning towards a series for my first eBook. Part of the reason is because I want to make something for all to enjoy. However, some of the topics I want to discuss may be too much to have in an all-in-one deal. I also have a few specialty bits to share that would be cool as their own eBooks. So my debut to eBooks would be in a series.

As for topics, I don't really disclose my material to others. I often times kind of keep an element of surprise going. That's what I do with my blog posts and videos. I have two different genre topics going in my current plans- one in self-help and another in gaming.

 

[Katiegan]

Well, I've finally got a biography written for the main character of the story I'm working on. It's set in the GTA universe, so it's more of a GTA fanfic really, but I've finally written something!

Spoiler: Here it is if ya interested

Elise was born in 1953 and raised in the wealthy English county of Buckinghamshire to Charles and Isabella Newton. Her father was a successful university professor, while her mother stayed at home. She was born as a result of an experiment, as her parents struggled to conceive for almost a decade before paying a large sum of money to a group of scientists at her father’s university to create a drug her mother could use to fall pregnant. The product of such experiment worked as Elise was born, but it left her with a variety of side effects, not all of which were good, thus causing her parents and the university scientists to destroy all traces of the experiment. Such side effects she was left with were constantly regenerating cells, meaning any injuries she suffered healed quicker than that of a normal human, it left her immune to disease, poisons and toxins, and slowed her physical aging process. The regenerating cells also caused a spike in her nervous system and gave her enhanced senses, which caused her eyes to be a strange shade of light grey, yet also resulted in a wide variety of chemical imbalances in her brain such as excessive hyperactivity and occasional schizophrenia. As a child her behaviour was very unpredictable and her parents found it hard to cope, but due to the fact she seemingly had ‘special powers’, they were afraid to give her up in case she fell into the wrong hands. Eventually her father sought help from the British government, who promised the parents they would put Elise under protection and ensure nobody would exploit her for the abilities she had. Unfortunately for Elise, the British government had blackmailed her parents and were the ones who would exploit her.

From the age of 8 upwards, Elise would be experimented on to test the severity of her supposed ‘powers’. It was discovered she was somewhat immortal, no matter how many times she was ‘killed’, her regenerating cells would heal whatever had killed her and bring her back to life. Once she reached her teenage years, the government began to train her with the secret service. Her enhanced senses meant she had faster reflexes than normal and an impressive stamina, but her hyperactivity meant she was also very difficult to work with and many of the government’s trainers refused to work with her. As she turned 18, the secret service hired her as a mercenary, as her varying personality disorders meant she quite emotionally void and felt little to no remorse or regret most of the time. Due to the fact her physical appearance aged very slowly, she looked far younger than 18 and was a less suspecting target than her fellow mercenaries.

Over the next 40 years, Elise was sent around the world on a range of different missions, killing a wide variety of targets in various different ways. Her schizophrenia was becoming less severe, but she appeared to be losing her sanity as the years went by. She didn’t enjoy what she did, she simply did it because it was the only thing she knew how to do. Because she had been taken from her parents aged 8, she’d never been a functioning member of society and it was beginning to show. Almost everyone who worked with her was deathly afraid of her, as she was still extremely unpredictable and still lacked remorse for her victims. Often if she was paired up with other mercenaries or sent out with special agents, they would refuse to work with her, calling her “bat**** crazy” and a “****ing psychopath”. She grew into a habit of deliberately doing things that would kill a normal person, simply because she couldn’t die doing them. She would often put a bullet in her own brain, jump from bridges, walk out in front of trains, or severely injure herself, much to the horror of her colleagues.

Her constantly killing and torturing of people throughout her life began to take its toll on her mind, causing her to become suicidal. However, since there was no way she could die, it drove her to inevitable insanity. At the age of 60 (physically looking to be in her mid-20s), 42 years after her first killing, she went on a rampage, murdering or injuring almost everyone she worked with at the secret service, resulting in her being removed immediately and left with nothing. She left the UK and headed for America, eventually settling into the city of Los Santos, where she began working as a freelance criminal and a gun for hire. She soon started earning a rather large amount of illegitimate money, and gained an array of contacts who would hire her for all kinds of work. She was still very shady, and most were apprehensive of her, but she got the jobs done efficiently with no questions asked and that was good enough for them, and the cash they were paying in return was good enough for Elise.

She now resides in an apartment complex in Del Perro, still doing jobs for her criminal contacts here and there. She’s still very much insane and spends most of her free time researching ways she could die and stay dead.

She's likely to develop a lot more as I write the story, of course.

 

[Com Fox]

Just a question. What pace should I introduce new characters?

In the first chapter/episode I'm currently writing, I already have 1 character introduced outside of the main Character and there might be another one in the next chapter.

 

[Grandea GTR]

Just a question. What pace should I introduce new characters?

In the first chapter/episode I'm currently writing, I already have 1 character introduced outside of the main Character and there might be another one in the next chapter.

The question in response will be for you: Will there be a "ragtag group of people" in your story?

 

[Com Fox]

The question in response will be for you: Will there be a "ragtag group of people" in your story?

I don;t even know what that means .

 

[Grandea GTR]

I don;t even know what that means .

Like, a main group of people altogether? A party that mostly sticks together for the majority of the story.